Swimming-shoe.



P. W. KLAPHECKE SWIMMING SHOE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.3D,!911.

Patented Jan. 2. 1912.

gamma Mot PAUL W. KLAPHEQKE, F ELLICOTT CITY, MARYLAND.

SWIMMING-SHOE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 2,1912:

Application filed March 30, 191i. Serial No. 617,924.

This invention relates to swimming shoes -and the object of theinvention is to provide neath the a novel device of this character whichcomprises a receiving member for the foot having a rigid sole and a pairof wings pivotally mounted longitudinally of the sole and adapted tospread upon the operative stroke of the 'foot and to fold upon theinoperative stroke of the foot, thereby offering little resistance inthe inoperative stroke and increasing the displacement of water upon theoperative stroke thus facilitating the swimming operation.

A further object of the invention is to provide novel means for securingthe sole to the foot of the wearer, such means also forming attachingmeans for a pivot rod besole and to which the wings are secured foroperative action.

A further object of the invention is to pivot the wings to the rod in anovel man'- ner and to provide means for limiting the spreading o thewings A still further objectis to provide novel means for limitingthemovement of the wings to a folding position, such means serving thedouble function of providing .for the attachment of sprin for normallyholdin the wings in their extended 9os1- tion,-t1us increasing theresistance 0 ered by returning the wings to such ositionindependent oftheir action upon tie water.

The invention consists of certain other combinations and arrangements ofparts, as will be hereinafter more fully described and clearly specifiedin the appended claims.

In the drawings :-Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved swimmingshoe.

Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the shoe looka ing toward the toe.

Fig. 3 is an underside view of the shoe with the wings in an extendedposition, one of the wings .veing broken away to show the means forsecuringthe rod to the underside of the sole. Fig. 4 is asectional viewtaken on the hue.

. constructed of 44 of Fig. 3, and looking in the direction indicated bythe arrows, the parts being on Fig. is a detail sectional view oflarged.

attached rod and also showing the sole and the means for limiting themovements of. the

w in s.

Referring to the drawings In detail, there is shown a sole member 1which is constructed preferably of wood and has its toe portion extendedupward as shown at '2 to conform to the foot of the wearer and alsohaving a heel member 3 for retaining the foot in position. Straps 4 aresecured to the heel retaining member 3 nd are adjusta'bly connected bythe usual buckle and perforations as shown at 5 to permit adjustment todifferent persons, said strap 4 which is provided with the buckle havinga shield strip (5 extending forwardly therefrom so as to ev'enlydistribute the pressure upon the foot at the instep, such portions beingpreferabl the leather strips 7 which form securing means, in connectionwith the heel member 3 which also extends beneath the sole 1. for a rod8 which is disposed centrally and longitudinally of the sole 1 andprojects lwyond the toe and heel thereof as is clearly shown in thedrawmgs.

It is very obvious that the sole and attachlng means are in the form ofa sandal and are thus capable of being readily at-.

tached to the feet butwhen in position will be positively held thereonand against accidental removal, it being apparent that the rod 8 mayalso be secured to the'sole by metallic clips 9 if desired and as moreclearly shown in Fig. 5 of the drawings, The oppositely disposed wings10 are provided with perforated ears 11 upon their inner edges whichpivotally engage the rodS so that said wings may have proper movement inspreading and folding when movcd upon their operative and inoperativestrokes and I have preferably shown two of such cars secured to one ofthe wings for receiving a single ear carried by the other wing. Eachof'the cars 11 is reduced to form the attaching rings 12 thus providingshoulders 13 at each side thereof for a. purpose to be hereinafter madeapparent.

In order to limit themovcmcnts of'thc wings in their spreading andfolding positions. l provide a series of lugs '14 which arc extended inopposite directions as shown in soft leather; Extending over the strip 6and beneath the'sole 1 are Figs. 3 and 4: of the drawings beneath thesole 1 so that as the wings are moved to a spreaded position upon theoperative stroke, said wings will engage the projections and thus arrestthe movement thereof. In order to limit the movement of the win 5 intheir folded position, lugs 15 are provided upon the rod 8 so as tolimit the movement of the wings less than 45 as shown-in dotted lines inFig. 2 of the drawings. This is accomplished b enga ement of said lugs15 with the shoul ers 1.3 ormed upon the ears lland in orderto furtherassist in limiting such movement, a central collar 16 is secured to therod 8 and provided with a dove-tailed extension 17 which is engaged bythe wings. Apertured projections 18 are also secured to the undersidesof the wings 10 through which the outer ends of coiled springs 19 aresecured by set screws 20 or otherwise, the inner ends of the springsbeing secured to the collar 16 so that said wings will be normally heldin an open position. The sprin are capable of adjustment to regulate t etension of the springs by the provision of the set screws 20 and it willbe seen that these springs 19 normally tend to ex tend the win s andthus assist in their movement upon t e operative stroke independent ofthe action of the water. From the foregoing description it will beapparent that the relative displacement made and the resistance offered,are advantageously increased to facilitate the swimming operation and asthe parts of the shoe which are constructed of heavy-material are suchas to be buoyed up by the sole member the tendency of the shoe to sinkin the water is revented and the weight thereof diminished, thusoffering no resistance in swimming. By reason of the stop membersemployed, the movements of the wings in their extended and foldedposition is greatly facilitated and also assisted by the coiled springsconnecting the wings to its pivotal rod.

It will also be apparent that the apertured projections '18 abut theundersurface of the sole 1 when the wings are moved to an extendedposition, thus holding the wings in a common plane and preventingengagement of the swings l.) with the sole,

1 (ilillllli l. A swimming shoe comprising a sandal member having asole, a rod pivotnlly secured beneath the sole, attaching means for thesandal to secure said rod to the sole, wings. perforated tars carried bythe wings and pivotallr engaging with the rod, oppositcly disposedprojections on the rod to limit the movement of the wings in an extendedposition, similar lugs formed upon the rod and extending downwardly tolimit the movement of the wings in a folded position, a collar alsocarried by the rod, apertured projections secured to the upper faces ofthe wings, springs secured to the collar and engaged. through said aierturcs, set screws to adjust said springs through the apertures, and aprojection carried by the collar to further assist in limiting themovement of the wings to a folded position.

2. In a swimming shoe, a sole, attaching straps for the sole, :1 rodupon theundersurface of the sole, said straps serving as attaching meanstherefor, wings pivotally connected to the rod and extending in oppositedirections, means for limiting the movement of the wings to an extendedposition, means for iimiiing the movements of the wings to a foldedposition, a collar secured to the rod and having an integral lug tofurther assist in limiting the movement of the wings to a foldedposition, apertured lugs secured to the upper faces of the wings andadapted to engage the sole to space said wings therefroi'n, andresilient means secured to the apertnred lugs and collar to hold. saidwings extended.

In testimony whereof, I affix my signature, in presence of twowitnesses.

PA UL 'W. KLAPHECKE.

Witnesses:

OLIVER W. CUMMINGS, CHAS. D. W. REID.

